The present invention relates to a machine tool mounted apparatus and method to mark a work piece, and more particularly relates to an apparatus and method that allows marking and machining to be performed using the same equipment.
Numerous marking methods such as stamping, roll stamping, vibratory peening, electrochemical etching, and laser etching are commonly employed to mark work pieces. Ordinarily, the marking process is performed as an operation separate from work piece machining operations. Under these conventional systems, an element or work piece is machined to a desired shape and size, removed from the machining equipment, appropriately positioned in specialized marking equipment, and marked with the appropriate emblem, part number, etc.
Machining and marking the work piece with the same equipment eliminates various costs, including: marking equipment, handling and storage of work pieces, floor space, work piece specific tooling and fixtures, and labor costs. Therefore, there exists a need to develop an apparatus that allows machining and marking to be performed on the same equipment and thereby avoid these additional costs. The disclosed machine tool mounted nosepiece integrates the marking process with the work piece machining operation reducing or eliminating these costs.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a marking method and apparatus capable of integration into work piece machining operations.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an adapter to connect a marking apparatus to a basic tool holder shank and thereby to a machine tool spindle utilizing existing tool holding techniques.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a combination tool holder shank and marking device or nosepiece using the aforementioned adapter.
The present invention describes an adapter that may be suitably employed to modify equipment used to machine a work piece to also mark the work piece. A basic configuration of the machine tool is a tool holder shank (also referred to as a xe2x80x9cbasic tool holder shankxe2x80x9d) that fits directly into the spindle of the machining equipment and holds the machining tools. The end of the tool holder shank opposite the spindle is called a tool adapter. Acceptable tool holder shank styles include, without limitation, CAT V Flanges (30, 40, 45, and 50), BT Flanges (30, 35, 40, and 50), NMTB, R8, and Morse Taper (2, 3, 4, or 5). Acceptable tool adapters include, without limitation, end mill holders, milling chucks, and collet chucks. Further, coolant adapters and coolant induced toolholders may be used. Note that the spindle may be rotating or nonrotating; however, a nonrotating spindle is preferred.
A preferable example of a tool holder shank and tool adapter for the purpose of the present invention is an end mill holder with a CAT 30, 40, or 50 V-Flange Adapter manufactured by Kennametal, Inc. of Latrobe, Pa.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a nosepiece adapter for connecting a nosepiece to the tool adapter end of the tool holder shank is disclosed. The nosepiece adapter is comprised of a shaft and an opposing nosepiece end. The nosepiece end is designed to receive a nosepiece commonly known in the art or specifically designed to fit into the nosepiece adapter. A longitudinal cavity extends through the nosepiece adapter and opens at both ends. The shaft is sized to attach to the tool adapter end of a basic tool holder shank and may include a shaft attachment means. As will be discussed below, this longitudinal cavity receives pneumatic gas, preferably pneumatic air, to activate the stylus of the nosepiece to mark a work piece or element.
Preferably, the nosepiece is a modified Pneumatic Nosepiece (Part No. PD05100), manufactured by Dapra Corporation of Bloomfield, Conn. having a Pneumatic Stylus (Part No. PC03980) also manufactured by Dapra Corporation, and a retraction means, such as one or more Compression Springs (Part No. 1753) manufactured by Century Spring Corporation of Los Angeles, Calif.
A second embodiment of the present invention is a combination tool holder shank and nosepiece wherein the nosepiece is connected to the tool adapter end of the tool holder shank using the aforementioned nosepiece adapter.
A third embodiment of the present invention is a method of machining and marking an element using the same equipment by suitably employing the nosepiece adapter described above.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.